Means for reducing topsails



THOMAS BATTY, OF BROOKLYN, NIB7 YORK.

MEANS FOR REDUCING TOPSAILS.

Speccation of Letters Patent No. 17,616, dated June 23, 1857.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS BATTY, of the city of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement for Reducing the Topsails and Courses of Ships and other Vessels Preparatory to Reeiing; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l, is a front view of a topsail having my im rovernent applied, representing the sail fulljy spread. Fig. 2, is a similar view representing the sail with the yard lowered ready for reeiing. Fig. 3 is a side view representing the sail with the yard lowered as in Fig. 2 and the edges of the sail drawn close to the yards ready for tying the reef points. Fig. 4, is a top view corresponding with Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts of the several figures.

A, is the lower mast; B, the topmast; C, the lower yard, and D, the topsail yard.

E is the sail which is or may be attached to the yards at its head and foot in the usual manner.

c, a, are reef bands, and b, b, strengthening bands. "*Mm Efis the topsail halyard applied in the usual manner.

G, G, G, are the reef pennants attached to the edges of the sail at the ends of the reef bands and running up over the front of the yard, through flat blocks c, c, on the top of the yard near the mast, and thence down to the deck.

II, H, H, are what I term bunt pennants, of which I have represented three to correspond with the number of pairs of reef pennants Gr, G, G, said bunt pennants being attached in the center of the width of the sail, in line with the connecting oints of the reef pennants and when the sail is strengthened by the reef bands a, a, and passing up the front of the sail through holes in a craneneck formed piece of metal I, which is secured to the top of the yard at the center of its length and opposite the mast, and projects over the front of the yard, and which contains separate holes e, e, e, through which the bunt pennants pass u ward to be secured to the upper part of t e topmast or to the cross trees. The crane-neck piece I, also assists in preventing the bellying out of the sail as it is lowered, as will be presently` length that when the sail is close reefed as shown in Fig. 2, they are taut, hence the bunt pennant of the lower reef is always taut whether the sail is fully spread, or whether it is reefed, but those belongin to the upper reefs are slack when the sai is spread.

The operation of reducing sail is as follows: Suppose the sail to have been fully spread and it be desired to close reef it. The yard is first lowered easily, and then all the reef pennants are hauled tight to draw the edges of the sail close up to the yard, which causes the bunt of the sail to be plaited between the front of the yard and the still extended portion of the sail as is shown in Figs. 3 and 4. As the yard is lowered the bunt of the sail is prevented by the position of the bunt pennants from illing with wind, and bellying on so as to be at times unmanageable as it does with the ordinary rig, and with many of the recently patented rigs, as the bunt pennants being confined near the yard by the craneneck piece I, which slides down them, as the yard 1s lowered, confine the center ofthe sail and compel it to fold in a backward direction in the space between the bunt pennants and the mast, thus pressing the wind entirely out of the center of the sail toward the leeches thereof and causing it to come close up to and exactly opposite the center of the yard. Fig. 2 represents the condition of the sail when the yard is lowered and before the reef pennants are hauled tight; and it will be seen that this condition of the sail is entirely different to that assumed by it at any stage of reducing or reefing with any other rig. The center of the sail being thus brought up snug to the yard, the drawing tight of the reef ennants G, G, G, forces all the wind out of the leeches of the sails and brings the whole length of the sail close up to the yard plaited in front of the yard as shown in Fig. 3, in which condition it is secured by making fast the ends of the reef ennants, ready for tying the reef points whic may be brought around Y considered best.

the yard or secured to a jackstay as may be To spread the sail again the reef pennants are slackened and the yard hoisted up by the halyard.

It is not absolutely necessary to have a bunt pennant attached to every reef band, but a single bunt pennant attached to the lowest reef band assing through gromets attached to the ot er reef bands will serve just as well.

The grornets attached to the upper reef bands Will slide up and down the single bunt pennant and cause the sail to be plaited u as 1t runs down in the manner before descri ed.

lThe use of Hat blocks c, c, on the top of the yard instead of blocks suspended below as is the usual plan enables the sail to be drawn up to the top of the yard to confine the plaits in the bunt against the yard ready for tying the points.

The invention may also be kapplied to top gallant sails and royals.

pennants H, connected With the front of the sail, passing up the front thereof' and connected with the yard, and of a craneneck piece I, or its equivalent attached to the yard to`7 work u and down said pennant or pennants, su stantially as set forth, so that in lowering the yard the wind may be expelled from the bunt of the sail toward the sides7 in the manner substantially as represented in Fig. 2.

2. The arrangement of the flat blocks c, c, through which the reef pennants run on the top of the yard7 substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

THOMAS BATTY.

Witnesses:

W. TUsoH, I. W. CoMBs. 

